Not Applicable.
The present invention relates to a hydroplane board and a method of personal hydroplaning.
Traditional forms of hydroplane boards, also know as skimboards, involve spin-offs of surfboards. These boards have defined forward ends, sides and tails. Some are optimized for sliding down steep beach slopes with the outgoing tide and then transitioning into shore break wave riding or tricks. These wave riders have relatively thick rails and greater floatation ability suitable for maintaining buoyancy with the user in deeper water, and for maneuvering (surfing) on the small waves at the shore.
Other styles, also with defined forward ends, sides and tails, have very thin side rails. However, these boards are really cheap copies of the traditional boards discussed above, and do not perform well at either skimming or surfing.
Both kinds of boards require the user to throw the board, keeping the correct orientation, and jump onto the board before friction causes it to detour from the selected course or slew out of the desired orientation. At the conclusion of each attempt to ride, the user must pick up the board, re-orient, and start over.
This results in a very difficult sport for novices. It is very hard to maintain orientation of the board on the throw, and very difficult to mount the board before it changes orientation after the throw. Timing, balance, and maneuvering on the board are made difficult by the steep nature of the beach, if using the shore break models. Throws down steep beaches become all or nothing attempts with contusions, minor and severe, the consequences of an error.
Timing, balance, and maneuvering are made difficult by the narrow nature of rails if using the skinny models. The defined forward end and tails require the user to be proficient in order to be able to hydroplane on one of these boards. One throw, whether a ride is achieved or not and the user must pick up the board and return to start over. All of this make the existing experience less than satisfying for all but the expert, and make it difficult and time consuming to become an expert at hydroplaning.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a new hydroplane board and a new method of hydroplaning.
More particularly, it is the object of the present invention to contribute to the sport of hydroplaning (skim boarding) by providing a device that offers optimal efficiency in terms of overall performance, safety of use, ease of use especially for novices, and radically extends the length and quality of a given hydroplane ride. The present invention is not a shore break surfboard and is unsuitable for this use.
The present invention comprises a circular board with slightly positive buoyancy. The bottom side of the board has a very low co-efficient of friction, and the top of the board is treated to have a high coefficient of friction. The rails of the circular board are approximately {fraction (5/8-3/4 )} inch thick and are smoothly curved from the smaller diameter bottom side to the larger diameter top side. The center of the topside is clearly marked as a reference for the user.
Hydroplaning with the present invention is naturally induced by the momentum and weight of the user onto the moving, but only slightly buoyant board. Efficiency is provided by the curvature of the rails which minimize forward friction especially during the initial contact of the user with the board. Efficiency is further enhanced by the round rails which reduce friction and allow continued forward motion even if some amount of stewing or radial motion is also present
When the hydroplane board is designed and a method of hydroplaning is performed in accordance with the present invention, the user starts the board from within shallow water with a push of their foot In addition, the user can hold the board in a given starting position against the force of current and tide by spinning it in place until optimal hydroplane conditions are obtained. This enables the user to exert much less effort in the course of using the board in comparison to having to pick it up, return to a start location , throw it and then jump on it.
When the hydroplane board is designed and a method of hydroplaning is performed in accordance with the present invention, the present invention permits the user to extend indefinitely the length of the hydroplane ride by repeatedly jumping off and back on. By jumping off the present invention may be accelerated and the user may then remount the board. The circular nature of the board is unique to this invention and is a key feature which permits this mew method of hydroplaning.
When the hydroplane board is designed and a method of hydroplaning is performed in accordance with the present invention, the present invention is simple to learn and easy to master, and relatively safe to use. The circular nature of the board, along with the sloping rails from the smaller bottom side to the large top side make this board inherently stable for the hydroplane action. A novice user simply starts off with slower and shorter rides. However, all or nothing attempts at mounting are not required in order to achieve a good ride. Even if radial forces are added during a ride, a novice user may continue to hydroplane without expecting immediate, negative consequences. If deep water or waves are encountered, the board slows and sinks, without any accompanying radical change in motion. An experienced user can obtain significant speeds and lengthy hydroplane rides.
When the hydroplane board is designed and a method of hydroplaning is performed in accordance with the present invention, the present invention is simple to learn and easy to master, and relatively safe to use. Varying the overall diameter of the board, without changing the specific design details identified herein, make the present invention suitable to a wide range of users of all heights and weights and expertise.
The user enters the shallow water of the ocean or a lake. Ideally, the water should be less than {fraction (1/2 )} inch deep with an even bottom underneath. The board is placed in the water and floated. If necessary, the board can be spun round with the foot to hold it in position against the forces of tide and current while optimal conditions are obtained.
When optimal conditions are obtained, the user pushes the invention with their foot in the desired direction. The user follows behind and jumps onto the hydroplane board, exerting their forward momentum and downward mass simultaneously onto the board The center mark of the board is used as a focal point for the user such that the center of mass of the user is located slightly to the rear of this reference point, in a direct line with the desired direction of travel. Hydroplaning is immediately induced, normally at a speed much greater than the prior speed of either the board or the user prior to the user mounting the board
When the board slows, or as desired by the user, the user may jump off of the board, simultaneously accelerating it in the direction opposite the dismount. The user may then follow behind and jump back onto the hydroplane board In this fashion, an experienced user may indefinitely extend the length of their ride.
If deeper water or waves are encountered, the board will naturally slow and sink. Alternatively, the user may stop and dismount the board at any time by simply moving their center of mass backwards or forwards on the board and causing the leading or trailing edge to dig in.